It looks like your ACR38 is supported by the CCID driver libccid

http://pcsclite.alioth.debian.org/ccid/supported.html#0x072F0x90CC

How to get the eid electronic card reader ACR38U working in Ubuntu 13.10 64-bit

Prerequisites: Ubuntu 13.10 64-bit, newest version of Mozilla Firefox, pcscd, default-jre, opensc, libacr38u, libacr38ucontrol0, libacsccid1, libccid

In a Terminal session, run the following commands:

sudo aptitude update

sudo aptitude install firefox pcscd default-jre opensc libacr38u libacr38ucontrol0 libacsccid1 libccid

sudo aptitude remove --purge beid*

wget http://eid.belgium.be/fr/binaries/eid-mw_4%2E0%2E4r1253_amd64_tcm226-178472.deb

sudo dpkg -i eid-mw_4.0.4r1253_amd64_tcm226-178472.deb

wget http://eid.belgium.be/fr/binaries/eid-viewer_4%2E0%2E4r146_amd64_tcm226-178482.deb

sudo dpkg -i eid-viewer_4.0.4r146_amd64_tcm226-178482.deb

Manually set the following values in Mozilla Firefox in about:config

security.ssl.allow_unrestricted_renego_everywhere__temporarily_available_pref;true security.ssl.enable_false_start;true security.ssl.renego_unrestricted_hosts;*.be

Manually replace the security.ssl.renego_unrestricted_hosts name certif.belgium.be or *.be in about:config, if you want to authenticate on a DIFFERENT site than www.cm.be or test.eid.belgium.be !!!

Download Belgium Root certificates here:

http://repository.eid.belgium.be/certificates.php?cert=Root&lang=en

Import Belgium Root certificates into Firefox.

The Belgium Root certificates are required if you want to use the applications of the FSP Finance (Belcotax, Intervat, Finprof, etc.).

Before you begin, make sure your identity card is in the card reader. Then:

Viewing certificates
    For Linux: Go to Edit > Preferences > Advanced > Encryption and click ‘View certificates’.
Check-marking certificates

Follow the steps below for the ‘Belgium Root CA’ and ‘Belgium Root CA2’ certificates. Can you only find one certificate? Then you obviously only have to perform these steps once.
    Find the ‘Belgium Root CA’ or ‘Belgium Root CA2’ certificate and click the line below the arrow.
    Click ‘Edit…’.
    Check ALL three boxes.
    Click ‘OK’.

Ensure that there are absolutely NO add-ons or plugins installed in Mozilla Firefox. Installing the Belgium eid Firefox add-on will NOT work in Ubuntu 13.10 64-bit and only make matters worse!

Disconnect the eid card reader from the PC. Reconnect the eid card reader from the PC.

Insert eid card into card reader.

Reboot the PC.

Test eid card reader here:

http://test.eid.belgium.be/

For anyone coming here for Ubuntu 18.04, I did the following to get it working :

sudo apt-get install libpcsclite1

Download and install the ACR38 driver manually from https://www.acs.com.hk/en/products/199/acr38u-i1-smart-card-reader/

Unzip the downloaded driver and open a terminal in that directory + install the debian package

cd ubuntu/artful 

(it is for Ubuntu 17.10 but working. MAybe there will be a 18.04 directory in the future...)

sudo dpkg -i libacsccid1_1.1.5-1~ubuntu17.10.1_amd64.deb

Restart pcsc daemon

sudo service pcscd restart

and the reaer was recognized (with pcsc_scan at least, and later with Belgian EID program)

If you have Ubuntu 10.04 or later, then judging by the bug reports you shouldn't be experiencing this issue anymore. (Version 1.7.10 of libacr38u).

Seeing as the driver you downloaded is two years old, and there is a package to provide support for this device in the Ubuntu respositories (libacr38u) then I would keep away from the driver.

If you are on Ubuntu 10.04 or later (especially if it doesn't work in 10.10) then please report a bug by pressing Alt+F2 and entering ubuntu-bug libacr38u.